What we get are moments and memories. Ones that I know I will remember, for the rest of my life.

Our recent shoot for Stella McCartney took us to the picturesque countryside of Tuscany, Italy. We were there to make a film about Stella’s iconic Falabella bag – one inspired by her childhood, surrounded by nature and her love for the planet and all of its creatures.

We landed in Florence at lunchtime and immediately set off to the green hills in a minivan, driven by our brilliant fixer Luca. The sun was dipping, and we needed B roll, fast. On the wish list; a beautiful sunset piercing through low, creamy orange and powder pink clouds – maybe throw in a bird or two as well.

We spent a good hour driving up twisty mountain roads, location scouting out of the window for Tuscan trees and dramatic views of the landscape we were leaving behind us as we climbed. In hindsight, up is definitely the wrong way to go when you’re chasing a sunset. Our only hope now was to find some water, something low and reflective so we could still capture the palette that the sky was offering.

During a dizzying downwards journey, we each whipped out the maps app on our phones and found what looked like a body of water at the foot of the mountains. Two little blue pools. Could this be it? The sky was burning and we needed to get there 10 minutes ago. But with a bit of local knowledge from Luca and the right sort of exhausted but adventurous spirit from the crew, we sped down the mountains, windows down, chins up. We came to a halt at the little red pin served up by Google Maps and were welcomed to the most beautiful, tranquil turquoise river I think I’ve ever seen.

We all looked at each other, stunned at the beauty of what we just found, and paused for a moment of silence letting the trickles of the water pass over the rocks and too, the sound of it through our ears. It was a welcome relief. We made it – we found our spot.

We spent the last moments in the light of the day shooting everything we could conjure up and feast our eyes on; handbags hung on branches, sun rays through corn fields, ripples made by throwing stones into frame, and slow zooms in to the purple haze painting the sky front of us.

It was that curiosity, of the two little blue pools, that led us to a location of dreams, resulting in gorgeous visuals we could use in the edit. I won’t tell you if they made the cut or not.

Balancing curiosity and efficiency is a constant challenge as a Producer. Personally, I am forever battling with my passion for impactful aesthetic and the need to deliver on time and on budget. It’s a delicate dance.

But it’s moments like this that fuel me to recognise the need to prioritise curiosity. When I allow myself the space to think more creatively, the results can often be surprising – and sometimes, quite good too. And what we get in the end, isn’t just some shots for a film – what we get are moments and memories. Ones that I know I will remember, for the rest of my life.